Tim Schumann - Computational Design Portfolio

ENCODING BUILDING PRODUCTS

Type: Msc Thesis Project at TU Delft

Date: 11.2021 - 01.2023

Location:Delft, Netherlands

Supervisors: Dr. P. Nourian, Prof. Dr.-Ing. T. Klein, H. Hoogenboom, Shervin Azadi

One million homes will be needed in the Netherlands by 2030. Prefabrication in the construction industry can contribute to construct affordable houses, but that results often in standardized and not customized designs. These repetitive designs can be overcome through the introduction of mass-customization in architecture. Computational Architectural Design offers the possibility to tackle mass-customization through developing tools to let the user easily customize a design while providing guidelines and feedback towards a successful building design. This can be done by discretising a building into building blocks that can be controlled through a computational workflow.

This project elaborates on the potential of developing a design tool that allows the custo-

mization of houses through discrete building information modelling. Since the housing design process is a complex and multi-layered problem, the process is broken down into the sub-problems of topological design, building product development, configuration, and data export. For these steps, algorithms from the gaming industry are tested to improve the participation of the end user trough a simplification of the design process. Through design grammars, a relational data structure is created that is compatible to the BIM environment of the industry.

The evolved methods are applied to the test case of a rowhouse design in Delft to predict the possible impact of the design tool. The results of this are set in the context of the AEC industry.

INTERACTIVE TILE PLACEMENT

APPLYING DIFFERENT TILESETS ON ONE TOPOLOGICAL DESIIGN

TOPOLOGICAL DESIGN BUILDING

TETRIS LIVING

Type: Design Studio at University of Melbourne

Date: 02.2022 - 06.2022

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Team: Taichen Li

Supervisors: Darcy Zelenko - Danny Ngo

Tetris Living tackles the inefficiency in the current building industry with a proposal for architecture. Buildings should respond to the changed needs of the inhabitants, and allow the individualization and reconfigura¬tion of their living spaces. This can be done with the discretization of architecture. Specifically, this means that buildings are assembled out of a set of few components, allowing a huge range of possible configurations. The first step is the development of a part, suitable for the built environment. The part is then aggregated to shape a building following a certain logic. The aggregation and the concept of discrete architecture as a participatory platform

is tested in an architectural project, located in the Fishermenʼs Bend, a new urban development area in Melbourne.

As a discrete part, a timber beam with triangular section was developed. These parts can be assembled to frames. A row of frames can be assembled to rooms, and rooms can be stacked uppon each other thanks to the triangular section of the parts. Through an interactive platform, inhabitants can choose their preferred room configuration. Following that, the appartments are stacked with the goal of maximum space efficiency.

CREATING A DISCRETE BUILDING PART

SPACE OPTIMIZATION

PHYSICAL MODEL MAKING

AGGREGATION + AUTOMATED DETAILING

PERSPECTIVE APARTMENT EXAMPLE

HEXAFORM

Type: Bachelor Thesis at RWTH Aachen University

Date: 04.2019 - 07.2019

Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. techn. Sigrid Brell-Cokcan

Hexaform shifts the production process for free form buildings on a whole new level, based on a modular lightweight construction. Hexaform is a building system working with the automation of sheet metal folding. The basis is formed by prefabricated hexagon pyramids, which are riveted together and stiffed with a framework. The results in a spatial folding that is based on the principles of origami. With the precise coordination of the individual folding processes, a spatial free-form surface of pyramids is created. The framework is also a variable structure:

with the help of threaded rods, the length of the rod can be shortened or lengthened and can thus react to the changed distances of the spatially curved pyramid structure. The folding and pre-assembly process is carried out in a fully automated mobile factory. Since all components are preserved in their shape and length, Hexaform can be completely dismantled and is therefore suitable for both temporary and stationary free-form constructions.

MODEL OF AN ASSEMBLY UNIT IN 1: 5

steel ball with internal thread M16

r = 17,5 mm

steel tube d: 30 mm, thickness: 3 mm (spacer closed)

threaded rod M16

nut M16

aluminium tube d: 30 mm, thickness: 5 mm

steel plate with holes d = 5 mm threaded rod M10

nut M10

magnet (fixing aid)

hose d: 15 mm (spacer open) pyramid d: 1 mm

DETAIL: NODE IN OPEND AND CLODED STATE

sail elements

PARAMETRIC MODEL

solar modules in direc�on of solar radia�on

sail structure

FEATURED VARIANTS

SYSTEM PROCESS AND MOBILE FACTORY LAYOUT

3.5

3.3

3.2

3.1

1.1 design of the surface

1.2 parameteriza�on 1.3 order of the materials

2.1 fabrica�on of the pyramids

2.2 produc�on of the bar elements

2.3 manufacture of the connectors

2.4 packaging and dispatch

3.1 delivery of pyramids, connectors and rods

3.2 bending the pyramids

3.3 folding the pyramids

3.4 rivet

3.5 inser�ng the connectors

3.6 clamping rod elements in vice

3.7 screw 3.8 insert framework into connector

3.9 unload

4.1 delivery of the elements to construc�on site

4.2 li�ing by crane 4.3 posi�oning at the assembly site

4.4 human adjus�ng at the assembly site

4.5 inser�ng the connec�ng rods

4.6 rivet 4.7 screwing the connectors

intake the pyramids folding of the pyramids inser�ng the connectors bending rivet

THE MOBILE FACTORY

sec�on 2-2

floor plan 1-1

CONSTRUCTION PHASE II TRANSPORTATION

screw framework insert framework unload and transport

EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES

Transporter with refill pallets with pyramids, connectors and rods

Forkli� truck Linde E40/600H load capacity: 4.000 kg

Mobile factory (40-foot container) 12 m x 2.35 m

Heavy current connec�on sta�on (If not available: generator)

Spider Crane UNIC URW-706 (range: 18.6 m)

Vehicle MULAG Comet 3

m x 1.45 m

SITE PLAN BUILDING SITE

m x

MADE BY ROBOTS: WILDLIFE HABITAT

Type: Elective at University of Melbourne

Date: 02.2022 - 06.2022

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Team: James Urlini, Pearl Thompson

Supervisor: Prof. Rochus Hinkel

The couse „Made by Robots“ was all about using robotic clay printing to create habitats for urban wildlife. A specific plot in the outskirts of Melbourne was choosen to locate the project. In an initial analysis, we identified endangered species in this specific urban ecological system, which are mostly birds and frogs. We choose to build a feeding station for them- meaning to create the optimum conditions for funghi and mosses to grow. Once funghi and mosses are populated, smaller animals like slugs, spiders and ants will follow. These animals then are serving as food for the endangered frog and bird populations. To create the design, we did several experiments on how to grow mosses and funghi in combination with clay printing. We identified the perfect conditions regarding geometry, humidity and

sunlight. Based on that, we developed modular clay elements, each serving a specific function for growing funghi, mosses, and transporting moisture and light.

For that, four different kinds of prints are produced: Bottom Pieces, Top Pieces, Regular Pieces and Connectors. While Connectors and Regular Pieces can be connected with two other prints, Bottom- and Top Pieces can only connect to one other element.

The result are modular pieces, that can be freely assembled to towers, with internal properties to match the local requirements. Three of these towers have been assembled on the choosen site and are currently populated by funghi and mosses. The projct will be exhibited at Melbourne Design Week 2023.

GROWTH EXPERIMENT OF MYCELLIUM IN PETRIDISHES

MYCELLIUM SUBSTRATE APPLIED ON 3D CLAY PRINTS

GROWTH EXPERIMENT OF MOSSES

3D PRINTS WITH SUBSTRATE AFTER 5 DAYS

MODULAR DESIGNS

INITIAL MODEL PRINTING PATH (SLICED MODEL)

ROBOTIC CLAY PRINTING FIRED PRINT

THE JANSEN TREE

Type: Internal Student Competition TU Delft

Date: 02.2021- 04.2021

Team: Cas Verhoeven, Tong Wu, Trishita Chatterjee

Supervisor: Lia Tramontini, Arie Bergsma

The Facade Design Competition was embedded within the Master´s course „Facade Design“. The task was the creation of a free-form pavilion using a specific glass facade system by Jansen in combination with 3D-printed metal facade nodes. The number of nodes, as same as the change of angle incorporated in the nodes, was strictly limited. Our proposal was a public transport station with a tree-like structure in the middle, transitioning into a windshield. The 3D-printed nodes should be created with the DMLS technique. This method allows high printing accuracy

and allows us to integrate an optical sensor and a light into the node. Through this addition, the pavilion can interact with waiting people by tracking their movements or showing relevant information, such as a warning light indicating a bus or ferry approaching. As an initial location, a prominent position in the harbour of Rotterdam was chosen. Our proposal was awarded the first prize in the competition by a Jury consisting of delegates from Jansen, Knippers Helbig and gmp architects.

DESIGN CONCEPT

INITIAL SHAPE

TRANSLATING DESIGNS TO VALID MESH SURFACES

INTERACTIVE LIGHTING THEMES

LED capsule

Cover section

Clamping section

Outer gasket

Glass 4.4mm.

Inner gasket

Node LED capsule

EXPLOSION DETAIL OF THE FACADE NODE

EUROPE READR PAVILION

Type: Design Competition

Date: 04.2021 - 08.2021

Location: Netherlands

Team: Christopher Bierach, Thomas Lindemann, Dimitrios Ntoupas

Client: EUNIC Netherlands

The European Readr is an initiative of the European Union to harvest interest in culture across Europe. Each country was challenged to contribute a project to the theme of 2021: „Open a book for a better future“. EUNIC Netherlands created a student competition, which we could win with our proposal. Our concept reacts to the idea of reading by creating three over-dimensioned books, each serving a specific task. The first book, „Inspire“, offers visitors to download books that are offered for free by the partner initiatives of all countries of the EU. The second book, „Dive In“, offers a space to sit down and read. Finally, the third book, „Inspire“, challenges the visitors to leave book recommendations on colourful bookmarks in an imaginary landscape of the Netherlands.

Once the competition was won, we developed a realization concept to build the pavilion within the material budget of 10.000 EUR. Thanks to being able to use the facilities of the Faculty of Architecture at TU Delft, we constructed the books from timber profiles and plywood sheets. The rounded shape of the podium was achieved through CNC milling, and the book pages and envelopes were produced by a specialized printing company. The pavilion was constructed for easy disassembly, so it could be exhibited in multiple locations. After construction, the pavilion was exhibited at OBA Amsterdam, Biblionet Veendam, Emmen and Delft.

CONFIGURATION POSSIBILLITIES LAYOUT

INITIAL MODEL BOOKS

Expolore Dive In Inspire

AUTOMATED CREATION OF CUTTING PLANS